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(ModeL) W. H. PRENTIOE & S. H. BEOKWITH.

TELEGRAPH KEY.

No. 250,753. Patented Dec. 13,1881.

p" .[7'000/650729: I a W151 fli renfidce 9 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. PRENTiC-E AND SAMUEL H. BEOKVVITEI, ()F U'llOA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO FRANK J. CALLANEN, OF SAME PLACE.

TELEGRAPH-KEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 250,753, dated December 13, 1881.

Application filed June 13, 1881. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that W6,W1LLIAM H. PRENTIOE and SAMUEL H. BECKWITH, of Utica, in the county of Oneida and State ofNew York, have 5 invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telegraph-Keys; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention is an improvement in that class of telegraph keys known as legless keys.

It has for its object, chiefly, to provide a key which will have its circuit-breaking lever in close proximity to a connecting and holding spring-plate, which is secured to place by a bolt, the head of which forms the anvil, and a suitable binding-post secured to the frame of said key.

It consists of a telegraph-key which has its frame resting on and permanently secured to a table or stand, said frame being provided with a curved spring-plate insulated therefrom, and secured to place by a bolt, the head of which forms the anvil, and a bolt forming a part of the near binding-post, all of which will be fully described.

In our drawings, Figure l is a plan or top view of the key and associate parts. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a section showing the improved arrangement of anvil, &c.

Similar reference-letters indicate like parts in all of the figures.

Referring to drawings, A is the frame or plate forming the base of the key, provided with uprights B B, to form supports to the trunnions of the lever O.

D D are set-screws passing through said uprights, provided with the ordinary clamping or adjusting nuts, to serve as bearings to the trunnions of the lever G. The lever G is provided at one side of its axis with the usual platinum point immediately above the anvil, and on the opposite side with the ordinary ad- 50 justing-screw, to limit the back throw of said lever. A spring, g, connects the base with the long arm of the lever and gives to said lever its return movement.

The frame A is preferably of an elliptical or oval form, and in order that it may be secured to its rest it has reamed holes for holding screws.

A lever, D, forms the usual circuit-breaker or permanent closer, being pivoted on the top of the frame A. Behind one of the uprights 6o B is entered a binding-screw, E, which intersects a hole in the side of the frame, provided for one of the wires or conductors.

A plate, F, curved to correspond with the contour of the frame, is mounted upon insu- 6 lating-washers I) b, which find suitable seats in said frame. The plate F is secured to its place at one point by a binding-screw, E, constructed and fitted as will be hereinafter described, and a bolt, H, surmounted by a capping, which forms the anvil I. The plate F, at its free end,is depressed belowits normal plane toform a spring-bearingfor the circuit-breaker D. Said plate F, when in engagement with said circuit-breaker, forms the metallic or con- 7 5 ducting connection medium between the frame of the key and the conducting-wire secured at the binding-post E.

The anvil I is insulated from the base of the key by washers 1) 11 which washers also form, as before stated, together with the washers 12 b insulators to separate the spring-plate F from the base A.

The binding-postE is formed, essentially, of five parts-via, the headed screw G, provided with ahollow screw-threaded socket, c, asecurity-screw, e, and a fixed nut, d, the clamping-nut f, and the Washer z. The screw-threads of screw G are cutaway on one side in line with the axis, and the washer fis correspondingly formed, so 0 that said washer will have no movement about its axis while being clamped to place upon the line-wire.

The screw G is formed with a head to prevent the displacement and loss of the clamping-nut and washer immediately beneath the latter. The screw G is secured to place on the frame A by a screw, 0, which is driven into the bottom of said screw Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Let- 1 In testimony that we claim the foregoing as ters Patent, is our own we affix ounsiguatures in presence of 1. In a telegraph-key, the insulated spriugtwo witnesses.

plate I, secured to the frame A by the screw Gr' 5 of the binding-post E, and the anvil-headed WILLIAM H. PRENTIOE. bolt H, vin combination with the lever D and SAMUEL H. BECKWITH. frame A, as and for the purpose specified.

2, The anvil I, forming the head of the bolt Witnesses: H, in combination with the plate F and frame E. D. HONE, 10 A, as and for the purpose set forth. 1 JOHN H. HOUSE. 

